Momma2Bullies
New member
Freaking out....
Iām in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Both of the dogs are on flea/tick routine (nexguard) from
April-November.
This weekend my girl Layla was really lethargic (even more than normal
for the insane heat weāve been having). She stopped eating, wouldnāt drink, was so hot and wouldnāt settle... I started to suspect a fever and I was worried she was getting dehydrated. I had planned to see my vet today, but last night she was in such distress ( as was I) and a large swelling was forming in her throat. She was shivering and burning up.
By 3am I was at the emergency vet, thinking I would be bringing her home with some antibiotics. Instead she is admitted to critical care - she has basically zero platelets in her blood and elevated kidney protein levels and tested positive for Lyme. I donāt know how long sheāll be in, if she has permanent kidney damage, or what is going to happen.
Lyme was never on my radar. I know ticks are prevalent, as is Lyme, in my area, I thought I was taking enough precautions for my dogs. The emergency vet said yes. April-Nov is the recommendation for tick meds but if there is a January thaw or any day above 4 degrees ticks can be active. Of course here in Ontario we have thaws and above-freezing days in March, this must have been when she got bit. I am devastated that I somehow didnāt notice a tick on her, we all know how much we have our hands all over our EBs. I am devastated that I never even thought about Lyme. Since Wilbur got sick last fall, I havenāt taken my dogs walking on my forest path, they havenāt been to any dog parks, basically they havenāt left my fenced yard...
I guess the lesson here is that Lyme is out there and very real. I will be keeping my dogs on tick prevention year-round now. I am praying that a month of antibiotics will rid Layla of the bacteria, that her kidneys are not damaged, that the mass on her neck is due to swollen lymph glands. If your babies are lethargic, weak, not eating, fever.... donāt dismiss Lyme.
Iām in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Both of the dogs are on flea/tick routine (nexguard) from
April-November.
This weekend my girl Layla was really lethargic (even more than normal
for the insane heat weāve been having). She stopped eating, wouldnāt drink, was so hot and wouldnāt settle... I started to suspect a fever and I was worried she was getting dehydrated. I had planned to see my vet today, but last night she was in such distress ( as was I) and a large swelling was forming in her throat. She was shivering and burning up.
By 3am I was at the emergency vet, thinking I would be bringing her home with some antibiotics. Instead she is admitted to critical care - she has basically zero platelets in her blood and elevated kidney protein levels and tested positive for Lyme. I donāt know how long sheāll be in, if she has permanent kidney damage, or what is going to happen.
Lyme was never on my radar. I know ticks are prevalent, as is Lyme, in my area, I thought I was taking enough precautions for my dogs. The emergency vet said yes. April-Nov is the recommendation for tick meds but if there is a January thaw or any day above 4 degrees ticks can be active. Of course here in Ontario we have thaws and above-freezing days in March, this must have been when she got bit. I am devastated that I somehow didnāt notice a tick on her, we all know how much we have our hands all over our EBs. I am devastated that I never even thought about Lyme. Since Wilbur got sick last fall, I havenāt taken my dogs walking on my forest path, they havenāt been to any dog parks, basically they havenāt left my fenced yard...
I guess the lesson here is that Lyme is out there and very real. I will be keeping my dogs on tick prevention year-round now. I am praying that a month of antibiotics will rid Layla of the bacteria, that her kidneys are not damaged, that the mass on her neck is due to swollen lymph glands. If your babies are lethargic, weak, not eating, fever.... donāt dismiss Lyme.